Ju Feng Yuan Dumpling opened back in January and created a bit of a buzz. I know that "FOYs" SDJulie and RD both highly recommended the place. And Calvin, who lives fairly close by also liked the place, though he said that the Xiao Long Bao weren't always available. So, I decided to wait past the soft opening period before driving up to Scripps Poway Parkway in search of Ju Feng Yuan.
When I arrived, I cracked up, just a short while back this was Rooster Rice & Noodles! Well, they didn't last too long did they?
I had heard that the place gets a bit busy so I told Calvin to meet me there right when they opened. I arrived ten minutes before opening and Calvin parked and walked on over a few minutes later.
Except for the center seating area, the interior is fairly austere and simple….they also filled up fast.
The menu and ordering is done by QR code. The menu is a mish mash of various regional dishes ranging from la zi ji to niu rou chuan, as well "ABCDE" type favorites like fried rice and orange chicken!
I had really wanted to try the Jiaozi, but Calvin was looking forward to the XLB, so I figured I'd get that on my next visit.
We started with the Shrimp and Pork Wonton in Chili Oil.
I liked the wrappers, which had a nice pull, but as still tender. I also enjoyed the large pieces of shrimp on the won ton; you could really make out the flavor of the shrimp. The filling was moist with a bit heft to it. The "chili oil" was short on chili and too heavy handed in the black vinegar department….it's usually the opposite way around, but here, it was way too sour.
After trying out those colorful multiflavored XLB at places like Dian Shui Lou in Taipei I'm of the mind that it's kind of a gimmick, Just give me good Pork XLB any day of the week.
Of course we're talking about good pork XLB. This was basically, meh…. The wrappers were too thick, there wasn't enough "soup" in the dumplings, and the pork filling was tough.
I sent my friend "YZ" who is from Shanghai and is even more picky about XLB then I am and she basically said "that looks too dry, the wrappers too thick, I bet it doesn't have enough soup?" Correct on all counts.
My two favorite dishes were not the dumplings.
I enjoyed the String Beans.
Nicely stir fried, with a pleasant mild crunch, a bit of fermented black bean and garlic to add savory-pungent tones. This was quite good.
And the Garlic Spareribs, which were more like a good Salt and Pepper Spareribs.
Nice black pepper, perfectly seasoned, hints of garlic, crisp outside, fairly moist meat, great for gnawing on the bones.
Overall, this was a nice lunch. It was interesting to see what folks were getting….from the young Asian hipsters with the signature XLB and tomato beef noodle soup, to the folks who looked like they worked in the area getting won ton soup, orange chicken, and what looked like pineapple fried rice?
I of course had to return to try the jiaozi…..but, I guess because of the distance, it took a couple of months before I returned. Again, I got to the shop before they opened and just sauntered in when that sign lit up. I was alone this time so ordering was easy….except, when I placed my order, they were out of the Pork and Cabbage Jiaozi. Even though I like to have the baseline standard, it was easy enough to order the Shrimp, Pork, and Chive version. Finding out that my next three choices were also out (no niu rou chuan!!!! no smacked cucumbers!!!) was kind of a bummer, but I found something to order.
As for the jiaozi.
It was good. I liked the wrapper, which was tender, with a bit of heft, and a nice al dente pull to it. The filling was also nicely seasoned, more of a course chop with large pieces of tender, briny-sweet shrimp. There were perhaps a bit too much Chinese chives in this, but overall no complaints. I did not care for the dipping sauce that came with the jiaozi, it had sweet tones I didn't care for. I just ended up using the black vinegar provided on the table.
As for my other dish. Well, I chose the Eggplant with Garlic Sauce.
Well, the eggplant was nicely cooked, initially firm, but then giving way to molten melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. The sauce however, was overly sweet, overpowering every other flavor and there was a certain gloppiness to the dish I didn't care for. I could only finish a couple of bites. 
Still, it was great to finally have some decent jiaozi in the area. The problem being the distance from home. I wish it was closer to work/home Still, I finally have a place that I can take the Missus to for Jiaozi, if She'll let me.
Ju Feng Yuan Dumpling Cafe
12265 Scripps Poway Pkwy Suite B109
Poway, CA 92064
Ju Feng Yuan Dumpling Cafe
12265 Scripps Poway Pkwy Suite B109
Poway, CA 92064
Current Hours:
Mon, Wed – Fri 1130am – 3pm, 5pm – 830pm
Sat – Sun 1130am – 330pm, 430pm – 9pm
Thanks for the recommendations RD and Julie!
Here’s another fairly quick name change! The place just opened in January. Based on my 
The Laundry" hangs over a bowl with a smoky-mildly spicy chili oil, with a large dollop of garlic paste in the middle. We quickly noticed that fat was dripping off the slices of pork belly enhancing the concoction.
This was an interesting Liang Cai (cold dishes) trio; the Duck Tongue in a chili oil was interesting. Usually, when we've had duck tongue, there's a hard inedible piece of bone in the center making eating it somewhat ponderous. The center of the tongue in this dish was cartilaginous, reminding us of 
This was not bad, the dumplings were on the smaller side, but it came with 14 in my order. The skins were a bit on the more chewy-doughy side, decent. The filling was pretty finely minced, light and tender, very moist, though the flavor was quite mild. The black vinegar came in handy in upping the flavor.
So, how did the dumplings handle the drive back home? Well, even though the wrappers looked a bit "stiff", these were more tender then those on my previous visit. A good amount of chives provided an almost garlicky "zip" to the dumplings. Even though I really couldn't make out shrimp in the finely chopped filling, I could taste them. Again, the fillings were fairly light, and this went rather well with the 6 year aged Zhenjiang Black Vinegar we keep at home.
Neat and clean interior seating. There is also outside seating and a small menu, which is nice. Many items can be ordered vegetarian. Our waiter said that most everything here is made from scratch.
We both wanted the cucumber salad ($6) on this rather warm day. It was *excellent*- cool, refreshing, with just enough salt and sesame oil to compliment the smashed cucumbers.
The Ma Po Tofu with pork and rice ($12.50) (you can also order vegetarian for $2 less) was a shareable portion. The sauce had the brightness of Sichuan peppercorns and the silky tofu was plentiful while the bits of pork complimented the flavors and added texture. A very balanced dish. 
Under "Signature" dishes on the menu were Chilli Wontons (12) ($10.50). We had to try these. Not much chili on top, but there is a great house made chili crisp on the table which enhanced the porky goodness of these large, two-bite wontons in a stretchy, thin wrap. The broth at the bottom of the bowl was wonderful with a rich porkiness and subtle chili heat.
The pig tongue was as expected, fairly chewy and very porky. Quite typical.
We quickly noticed that on this visit, the dumpling wrappers were very soft, lacking in the slight "pull" that we enjoy in jiaozi wrappers. The filling of the shrimp, pork, and leek was very moist and actually had a good amount of "soup" in them…very nicely flavored, though a bit short in the shrimp department.
But man, that filling was so gamy, moist, juice just poured out of it when I took a bite.
We did notice that the dish has changed since our last visit. The shrimp shells and the shrimp seems to have some coating; like the tofu skin, the portion size is smaller. The shrimp is not quite as delicate as it used to be. But the flavor is still there and the shells and tail are a pleasure to eat.
Soon enough the large plate of bun, herbs, and veggies. And of course the Missus enjoys the Banh Trang Me dipping it into the mam nem. As for the Mam Nem, we noticed that it's not quite as potent as it used to be.
Can't get much more generic than seeing something like this. 
Sure, you could walk up and grab a menu…but walking up and reading the walls can be more fun. 
Walk to the corner, order and pay. Have a seat.
Condiments are brought out and you can hear the sounds of chopping and stir fry happening in the kitchen.
Soon, a large bowl of Wor Won Ton Soup ($11.99) was brought out. Chicken, shrimp and pork filled won tons (dumpling sized) along with a plethora of fresh vegetables made this a great meal in itself.
Every vegetable was fresh and crisp. The shrimp were plump, chicken pieces were moist and quite large and the dumplings/won ton were flavor filled. 
Since this was a first visit, I had to order the Egg Foo Young ($12.99). The chef here had yet another unique way of preparation. 
The patties were batter dipped and fried to a crisp brown color, not filled with bean sprouts but instead, cabbage. Topped with the chicken (you could also order pork or shrimp EFY), ubiquitous peas and carrots and a good (not too salty) gravy, all flavors and textures remained bright throughout the meal.